The official blog of The CineFiles, a weekly film review series that can viewed at www.youtube.com/cinefiles. This blog will be used to keep fans up to date with upcoming shows and news.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

GHOST RIDER (2007)

Written & Directed By: Mark Steven Johnson Cinematography By: Russell Boyd Editor: Richard Francis-Bruce Cast: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Donal Logue, Peter Fonda, Wes Bently, Sam Elliott, Rebel WilsonWhen the motorcyclist Johnny Blaze finds that his father Barton Blaze has a terminal cancer, he accepts a pact with the Mephistopheles, giving his soul for the health of his beloved father. But the devil deceives him, and Barton dies in a motorcycle accident during an exhibition. Johnny leaves the carnival, his town, his friends and his girlfriend Roxanne. Years later Johnny Blaze becomes a famous motorcyclist, who risks his life in his shows, and he meets Roxanne again, now a TV reporter. However, Mephistopheles proposes Johnny to release his contract if he become the "Ghost Rider" and defeat his evil son Blackheart, who wants to possess one thousand evil souls and transform hell on earth.

The film feels stagey, not so much an action film even though there are plenty of shots and scenes that are scenic. Considering the material, A comic book which i read. (The Danny Ketch Years. Not the original Johnny Blaze one's which I more glanced at through reprints. In the Danny Ketch Years. Johnny Blaze is cured and more hunts down the Ghost Rider and other demons with the power of hellfire that comes out of his shot gun) it feels sanitized of its darker elements while trying to seem more edgy. Though it feels more like an appeal to the Hot Topic Goth crowd more than anything.

Strangely enough the film is made to be mainstream and feels a bit family friendly. Which is the opposite of the characters creation and the comic's storylines.
Writer-Director already ruined DAREDEVIL now he got his hands on this property.

The film of course has an unnecessary love story that seeks to make the tale more universal, but takes away the essence of the character. Yet it allows us to know him and put someone close to him in jeopardy.
When Johnny Blaze does change into the Ghost Rider he looks more like a cartoon then generally scary. At first I doubted it, but I will say Nicholas cage is well cast.

The film should have worked better with him as a haunted superhero. The film should have fit its original material better. The spirit in which it was created in.
Some action sequences try to look cool but more often tend to look lame. It often seems like the film is trying too hard to pile it on when unnecessary.

The villains in this film are more effective and more interesting than any of the other characters. Donal Logue who once again is cast as a side character-Best friend isn't used enough as he keeps his scenes fresh and alive.

This is the first film I ever watched on Blu-Ray. It had great quality too bad it was wasted on this movie, though it's effects and high definition did impress me.
The film isn't a total mess, if you are a fan of the Comic Books Definitely skip. If you are looking for a timewaster. you could do worse. Then again you could do better.
GRADE: D